The 9 types of chemical bonds (and their characteristics)

If we look up and look around we will see multiple things. All of them are made up of matter. Also the air we breathe, each and every one of the cells in our body, the breakfast we eat, etc.

When we add sugar to coffee, does the milk or sugar disappear? Certainly not, we know that it dissolves. But exactly what happens in there? Why? The everyday life of these kinds of things sometimes makes us forget about really fascinating phenomena.

Today we will see how atoms and molecules establish bonds through chemical bonds. Knowing each of the different chemical bonds and their characteristics will allow us to better understand the world in which we live from a more chemical point of view.

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What are chemical bonds?

To understand how matter is structured, it is essential to understand that there are basic units called atoms.. From there, matter is organized by combining these atoms thanks to unions that are established thanks to chemical bonds.

Atoms are made up of a nucleus and electrons that orbit around it, having opposite charges. The electrons are therefore repelled from each other, but they experience attraction towards the nucleus of their atom and even those of other atoms.

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Intramolecular links

To make intramolecular bonds, the basic concept that we have to keep in mind is that atoms share electrons. When the atoms do so, a union is produced that allows them to establish a new stability, always taking into account the electric charge.

Next we show you what are the different types of intramolecular bonds through which matter is organized that exist.

1. Ionic bond

In the ionic bond, a component with low electronegativity joins with one that has a lot of. A typical example of this type of bonding is common kitchen salt or sodium chloride, which is write NaCl. The electronegativity of chloride (Cl) causes it to easily capture an electron from sodium (Na).

This type of attraction produces stable compounds through this electrochemical bonding. The properties of this type of compound are generally high melting points, good conduction to electricity, crystallization when the temperature decreases, and high solubility in water.

2. Pure covalent bond

The pure covalent bond is a bond of two atoms with the same electronegativity value. For example, when two oxygen atoms can form a covalent bond (O2), sharing two pairs of electrons.

The new molecule is represented graphically with a dash that joins the two atoms and indicates the four electrons in common: O-O. For other molecules the shared electrons can be another quantity. For example, two chlorine atoms (Cl2; Cl-Cl) share two electrons.

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3. Polar covalent bond

In polar covalent bonds the union is no longer symmetric. Asymmetry is represented by the union of two atoms of different types. For example, a molecule of hydrochloric acid.

Represented as HCl, the hydrochloric acid molecule contains hydrogen (H), with an electronegativity of 2.2, and chlorine (Cl), with an electronegativity of 3. The electronegativity difference is therefore 0.8.

In this way, the two atoms share an electron and achieve stability through covalent bonding, but the electronic gap is not shared equally between the two atoms.

4. Dative link

In the case of dative bonds the two atoms do not share electrons. The asymmetry is such that the balance of electrons is one integer given by one of the atoms to the other. The two electrons responsible for the bond are in charge of one of the atoms, while the other rearranges its electronic configuration to accommodate them.

It is a particular type of covalent bond called a dative, since the two electrons involved in the bond come from only one of the two atoms. For example, sulfur can join oxygen through a dative bond. The dative bond can be represented by an arrow, from donor to acceptor: S-O.

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5. Metallic bond

The metallic bond refers to the one that can be established in metal atoms, such as iron, copper or zinc. In these cases, the structure that is formed is organized as a network of ionized atoms positively immersed in a "sea" of electrons.

This is a fundamental characteristic of metals and the reason why they are such good electrical conductors. The attractive force that is established in the metallic bond between ions and electrons is always atoms with the same nature.

Intermolecular links

Intermolecular bonds are fundamental for the existence of liquid and solid states. If there were no forces to hold the molecules together, only the gaseous state would exist. Thus, intermolecular bonds are also responsible for changes in state.

6. Van Der Waals forces

Van Der Waals forces are established between molecules that are nonpolar and show neutral electric charges, such as N2 or H2. These are momentary dipole formations within molecules due to fluctuations in the electron cloud around the molecule.

This temporarily creates charge differences (which are constant in polar molecules, as in the case of HCl). These forces are responsible for the state transitions of this type of molecule.

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7. Dipole-dipole interactions.

These types of bonds appear when there are two strongly bonded atoms, as in the case of HCl by a polar covalent bond. Since there are two parts of the molecule with a difference in electronegativity, each dipole (the two poles of the molecule) will interact with the dipole of another molecule.

This creates a network based on dipole interactions, causing the substance to acquire other physical-chemical properties. These substances have higher melting and boiling points than nonpolar molecules.

8. Hydrogen bond

Hydrogen bonding is a particular type of dipole-dipole interaction. It occurs when hydrogen atoms are bonded to strongly electronegative atoms, as in the case of oxygen, fluorine, or nitrogen atoms.

In these cases, a partial positive charge is created on the hydrogen and a negative charge on the electronegative atom. Since a molecule such as hydrofluoric acid (HF) is strongly polarized, instead of having attraction between HF molecules, the attraction is centered on the atoms that compose them. Thus, the H atoms belonging to one HF molecule create a bond with the F atoms belonging to another molecule.

These types of bonds are very strong and cause the melting and boiling points of the substances is even higher (for example, HF has a higher boiling and melting temperature than HCl). Water (H2O) is another of these substances, which is why its high boiling point (100 ° C) is explained.

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9. Instantaneous dipole link to induced dipole

Instantaneous dipole to induced dipole bonds are produced by alterations in the electron cloud around an atom. Due to abnormal situations an atom can be out of balance, with electrons oriented to one side. This assumes negative charges on one side and positive charges on the other.

This slightly unbalanced charge is capable of having an effect on the electrons of neighboring atoms. These interactions are weak and oblique, and generally last a few moments before the atoms have some new movement and the charge of all of them is rebalanced.

Bibliographic references

• Chang, R. (2007). Chemistry (ninth edition). Mexico: Mc Graw Hill.

• De Santos, V.E. and Rodríguez de Vega, G. (2002). Natural Sciences 3. Mexico: Mc Graw-Hill.

• Del Bosque, F.R. (2005). Inorganic chemistry. Third edition. Mexico: Mc Graw-Hill.

• Laidler, K. J. (1993). The World of Physical Chemistry, Oxford University Press.